Houses



(No Modei.) M.. P. G. HOOPER.

DEVICE .POR NUMBERINGHOUSES. .No. 335,130 j Patented Feb. 2, 18.86.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARY P. O. HOOPER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DEVICE FOR NUMBERING HOUSES.

$PECIPIC'A'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,130, dated February 2, 1886. Application filed October 8, 1884. Serial No. 144,987. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY P. O. HOOPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Numbering Houses, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings,forming a part of the same.

In numbering the houses of the different streets of cities and towns it has heretofore.

7 from the sidewalk or pavement that when the numbers are thus located it is impossible, or at least very difficult, to distinguish the numbers, particularly in the evening, without leaving the sidewalk or pavement and approaching close to the door, and even then,when the number is on the transom, it is sometimes impossible to read it unless there is a strong light upon the inside.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome these difficulties; and to that end the invention consists in a means by'which the numbers of the houses of astreet can be readily and conveniently attached to or mounted upon the gate orfence or railing if the front of the house is inclosed by afence or railing,or to the balustrade at the side of the steps leading to the front door if the house is close to the sidewalk or pavement, thereby bringing the numbers into such close proximity to the sidewalk or pavement that they can be easily read by a person standing thereon, and thereby also permitting the numbers to be so arranged that they can be read by a person approaching from either direction before he has arrived directly in front of the house.

The invention also embraces various details of construction in the means employed for securing .the numbers in position, all of which, as well as the manner of applying the invention, will now be fully explained, and particularly pointed out in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view looking from aslight elevation of a balustrade upon one side of the steps leading to the front door of a house, showing the application of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the gate and a portion of the fence inclosing the front of a house, showing the invention applied to the gate. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the disks bearing the figures which compose the number of a house and of the means for supporting the same. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the same, taken upon the line as m of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a rear view of one of the disks bearing the figures. Fig. 6 is an edge view of the same, and Fig. 7 illustrates a modification to be hereinafter referred to.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, it is to be understood that A represents the sidewalk or pavement alongthe side of the street; B, a series of steps leading from the sidewalk to the front door of a house; 0, the hand-rail, and D the balusters forming the balustrade upon one side of the steps B, and E the figures composing the number of the house, which, it will be observed, are supported between two of the balusters near the bottom of the steps 13 and in such position as to be in close proximity to a person standing upon the sidewalk, so as to be easily read at all times, thus making it unnecessary to ascend the steps if for any reason it should be impossible to dis tinguish the number upon the door or transom. It will also be observed that by arranging the number of the house in this position it is always in full view of a person approaching the house from either direction before he arrives directly in front of the house.

In Fig. 2 the figures E, instead of being attached to the balustrade, are secured between two of the upright pieces F of a gate, which opens from the sidewalk or pavement to the front of a house. They may, however, if preferred, be secured between two of the upright pieces or pickets G of the fence at the side of the gate. The same advantages result from cannot be read until nearly or quite in front of the gate.

It will be observed that the number, when arranged in any of the positions described, is entirely away from any dark or solid background, which would tend to obscure it or make it indistinct, and is supported so as to permit the light to strike it upon both sides, thus making it stand out in bold relief, so as to catch the eye. The convenience and the advantages due to arranging the numbers of houses in this manner will bereadily recognized by all persons who have been called upon to locate houses in a city with only the numbers to aid them in the search.

The results just stated can of course be attained by forming the numbers upon or attaching them to a plate or frame, and then permanently securing said plate or frame to the balusters or to some other suitable part of the balustrade, or to the fence or gate; but such a method of applying the numbers would involve a considerable amount of labor and expense, as, owing to the difference in the form and construction of the balustrades of different houses and the different styles of fences and gates, a special plate and fittings would have to be provided for nearly every house. It is therefore highly desirable, in order to reduce the cost and trouble of providing and applying the numbers, that the figures which compose the numbers should be made in such form that the proper number forany house can be made up out of stock, and that a means forsecuring the numbers in position should be provided which will be applicable alike to all or nearly all houses, thereby making it possible to manufacture the figures and attaching devices in large quantities, and keep them in stock to fill orders. It is also. further desirable that the attaching devices should be ofsuch a nature that when the properparts have been purchased they can be applied without the use of special tools or the employment of a mechanic.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 6, the construction of the figures and the attaching devices will be particularly described. The figures composing the numbers will preferably be engraved, cast, painted, or otherwise formed in or upon separate disks or blocks 4, which may be either round, square, polygonal, or of any other desired outline, and composed of iron, wood, or any other suitable material, and of suitable size to afford a sufficient surface for the figure. The faces of the disks may be either plain or provided with any suitable ornamentation. The backs of the disks are rabbeted, as shown, sothat when two are placed back to back, as shown in Fig. 4, they match together and form a solid block. The thick portion of each disk is provided with a horizontal slot, 5, and the slots of all the disks are in the back to back the slots will coincide and form a continuous opening through the two disks. The disks 4 are supported upon a metal band or strap, 6, which passes through the slots 5 and around two of the balusters, D, or two of the upright pieces, F G, of the gate or fence, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The band 6 is secured in position by means of a small padlock, 7, or by a bolt, 8, which passes through slots 9 formed in the band. The band 6 may be made in two parts, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4; or, if preferred, it may be made in a 'single piece, as shown in Fig. v7. In order to adapt the band 6 for attachment to balustrades, gates, or fences in which the balusters or upright pieces are located at different distances from each other, the slot or slots 9 will be made of sufficient length to permit the length of the band to be adjusted to meet these requirements.

The manner of applying the numbers is as follows: A person desiring to provide his house with a number has, after purchasing from a dealer one of the bands 6,with its fastening bolt or lock and duplicate sets of the disks 4, bearing the proper figures to form the required number, only to bend one end of the band 6 around one of the balusters D or uprights F G, then place the disks on the band back to back in such order that the number will read correctly from either side, as shown in Fig. 4, and then bend the other end of the band around the next baluster or upright and fasten it in position by the lock 7 or bolt 8, the slot or slots 9 being, as before stated, of such length as to compensate for all ordinary variations in the distance between the balusters or uprights of difierent balustrades, fences, or gates, so as to permit the lock or bolt to be inserted.

When the numbers are to be attached to a gate or fence, there is of course no advantage in having the figures show upon both sides; consequently in such case only a single set of the disks 4 need be used, and in that case the backs of the disks need not be rabbeted.

In conclusion, it is to be remarked that the disks 4, instead of being rabbeted and provided with the slots 5, may be provided upon their backs with loops or staples to receive the band 6, and that the band 6, instead of being double throughout its whole length, may be single, its ends being simply bent or hooked around the balusters or uprights.

Where the number of a house is composed of but a single figure, it is of course apparent that only one of the disks 4 will be used, and it will of course also be seen that, if desired, the several figures composing any number may be placed on a single disk. This, however, will not be as advantageous as the form already described, because it will necessitate the keeping of a larger variety of the disks in stock, in order to provide the necessary range of numbers.

Although the means herein described is especially designed and adapted for house-numbers, yet it will in some cases be found useful for signs or names, and in such case the 3. The combination with the supporting disks 4 will be provided with letters instead parts, of the slotted adjustable band 6 and of figures. the removable disk or disks 4, substantially as What I claim isdescribed. I 5 5 l. The combination, with the supporting In testimony whereof I have hereunto set parts, of the band 6, extending between these my hand in the presence of two subscribing parts and the removable disk or disks 4, subwitnesses.

stantially as described. MARY P. O. HOOPER.

2. The combination, with the band 6, of the WVitnesses: IO two sets of removable disks 4, arranged back J. A. HOOEY,

to back, substantially as described. GEORGE H. BOTTS. 

